Friday, 15 June 2012

Cable Car To the Island With "No Facilities."




Me being very serious and philosophical for a change.  Where did you get that striped jumper Dave?
I went for an excursion last Sunday to Ireland's only cable car that crosses over the water to a little island.  The man in the little hut asked us if we wanted to go across to the Island?  He told us that the cable car didn't return for 2 hours and there were:

"No facilities on the Island."

However we could go for a walk or do some bird watching.   It's a shame he hadn't painted the hut because we could have watched the paint dry.

We decided to just pay 20 Euros and go on the cable car ride and not get off.   The man's final greeting was:

"Just close the cable car door behind you please."

"What?"

Thinks me.  Have they never heard of health and safety, or seen the Monty Python 'Meaning of Life' film with the machine that goes "ping"? 



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4 comments:

  1. cumbrian25 June 2012 at 09:41

    Suppose it could only be in Ireland? A cable car going to an island with nothing there?
    Looks quite a long one as well.

    Only ever been on one, Dominican Rebublic, it's terrifying, takes about 40 minutes and goes to the top of a mountain, finishes up vertical at the high end. Only way up and down is the cable car, must have been brave men to build it.
    But there's something there, even if it is only a shrine and a few tourist shops, bar, cafe.

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  2. northsider 25 June 2012 at 11:43

    You have definitely been to Ireland Cumbrian. Where else would you use 'nothing there' to be your selling point?

    To be fair and to forget my grumpy opinion. The island is in a beautiful setting with spectacular views and it's great for hikers and bird watchers. But you'd think somebody would open a greasy Joe's cafe or a pub or something?

    Thanks for making me laugh!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. cumbrian25 June 2012 at 14:05

    Might be an opening there, but bird-watchers and hikers don't usually tend to be drinkers or spenders.

    Wouldn't cost much to build a little wooden shed, kettle and a fridge, off you go, as long as you can get gas bottles there, don't suppose there's electric.
    But then you need a toilet and washing facilities to EU regulations, and I don't think they'd accept a dry earth closet somehow and no running hot water.

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  4. northsider 25 June 2012 at 23:40

    You seem to be on the ball with the hikers and birdwatchers. I heard of a pub landlord organising a 'clan' meeting for a coach load of over seas tourist (North Atlantic shall we say) to visit the ancient family name castle and then he invited them back to his bar and they only purchased soft drinks.

    I often see coach parties in the nearby towns popping on and off the coach for a 'nice cup of tea'.

    There is electricity and a few houses on the island but nobody seems to want to open any 'facilities'. John Seymour would have shown the health and safety officials and EU regulators how to build a dry earth closet, wouldn't he?

    Thanks!!

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